UK and Ireland Radio Stations in 1984 During the 1980s, there were six main radio services in the UK: Radios 1 to 4, BBC 1984 is a good point at which to take a snapshot. A major expansion of BBC and local and regional radio and a single tier of independent local stations. Most Independent local radio had just completed, supported by the opening of new stations broadcast on both FM and AM, known as simulcasting. The main FM spectrum between 102 and 105 MHz. Most parts of the country could receive exception was Radio 1, which was only available on AM. However, the BBC either a BBC or independent local radio station, but not necessarily both. The national networks broadcast separate FM and AM programmes at certain times. reorganisation of the local radio FM sub-bands did not happen until 1986-7, so Radio 1 borrowed Radio 2’s FM network for a few hours a week. A few Radio 2 many stations (or their successors) now use different frequencies. Many music programmes were also carried on FM only with sport opting out on AM. transmitter powers were also increased after the frequency changes. Radio 3’s AM network sometimes broadcast cricket commentaries with regular By 1984, all of the minor upgrades to the BBC’s national AM networks, following programmes on FM only. Meanwhile Radio 4’s FM network opted out with the reorganisation in 1978 had been completed, leaving them (essentially in their education programmes. final form). The re-engineering of the FM network had begun with 30 new sites Simulcasting was needed because most car radios were AM-only during the added since the late 1970s and several transmitters upgraded to mixed 1980s and many AM-only portable radios purchased in the 1960s and early 1970s polarisation. To enable a reorganisation of FM frequencies in the Republic of were still in use. Furthermore FM reception, particularly on portable radios, was Ireland, including a third national network, Brougher Mountain, Llanddona and not as good as it was from the 1990s onwards. Llangollen changed frequencies in 1984 with Londonderry and several relays following in 1985. BBC National Radio See tables at end for details of the BBC FM network. Area kHz Site kW Area kHz Site kW Exeter area 909 Exeter 1 NW England & Yorkshire 1215 Moorside Edge 100 West Cornwall 909 Redruth MF 2 Humberside 1215 Hull 0.3 BBC RADIO 1 South Wales and West England 909 Clevedon 50 Tyneside, N Durham, S Nthmb 1215 Wrekenton 2 Format: Contemporary Music with Talk North Dyfed and SW Gwynedd 990 Tywyn 1 Central Scotland 1215 Westerglen 50 Broadcast Hours: 0600-0000 The Midlands 693 Droitwich 150 Aberdeen and East Grampian 1215 Redmoss 2 AM: 1053,1089, 1107, 1485 kHz MW, see table Norfolk and Suffolk 693 Postwick 10 North Scotland 1215 Burghead 20 Yorkshire, NW England & Wales 909 Moorside Edge 200 Belfast & East Northern Ireland 1215 Lisnargarvey 10 Area kHz Site kW South Cumbria & N Lancashire 693 Barrow 1 Derry area 1215 Londonderry 0.25 London & South East England 1089 Brookmans Park 150 West Cumbria 909 Whitehaven 1 Fermanagh and South Tyrone 1197 Enniskillen 1 South East Kent 1053 Folkestone 1 North East, Cumbria & Borders 693 Stagshaw 50 Coverage: 87% daytime, 38% nightime East Sussex Coast 1053 Bexhill MF 2 Central Scotland 909 Westerglen 50 Brighton and South Sussex 1053 Southwick, Brighton 2 Aberdeen and East Grampian 693 Redmoss 1 S Hampshire & Isle of Wight 1107 Fareham 1 North Scotland 693 Burghead 25 BBC RADIO 4 LW Bournemouth area 1485 Bournemouth 2 Central & East Northern Ireland 909 Lisnagarvey 10 Format: Talk, News and Entertainment Devon, Cornwall and Dorset 1053 Start Point 100 Derry area 909 Londonderry 1 Broadcast Hours: 0600-0030 Barnstaple 1053 Barnstaple 1 Fermanagh and South Tyrone 693 Enniskillen 1 AM: 198 kHz LW and MW relays, see table West Cornwall 1089 Redruth 2 Coverage: 98% daytime, 65% nightime South Wales & West England 1089 Washford 50 Area kHz Site kW North Dyfed & SW Gwynedd 1089 Tywyn 1 England and Wales 200 Droitwich 400 Central England 1053 Droitwich 150 BBC RADIO 2/ RADIO 1 VHF London 720 Lots Road 0.5 Norfolk and Suffolk 1053 Postwick 10 Plymouth and East Cornwall 774 Plymouth 1 As Radio 1 Mon-Fri 2200-0000, Sat 1300-1930, Sun 1700-0000 Merseyside and North Clwyd 1107 Wallasey 0.5 West Cornwall 756 Redruth MF 2 As Radio 2 at other times, opting out with music when MW NW England, Yorks, N Wales 1089 Moorside Edge 400 North Cumbria 1485 Carlisle 1 carries sport Humberside 1053 Hull 1 North East England 603 Wrekenton 2 FM: 88.1 - 90.1, 91.1 MHz, see table South Cumbria & N Lancashire 1053 Barrow 1 Central and South Scotland 200 Westerglen 50 West Cumbria 1089 Whitehaven 1 Aberdeen and East Grampian 1449 Redmoss 2 North East, Cumbria & Borders 1053 Stagshaw 50 BBC RADIO 3 VHF Northern Scotland 200 Burghead 50 Central Scotland 1089 Westerglen 50 Central & East Northern Ireland 720 Lisnagarvey 10 East Tayside 1053 Dundee 1 Format: Classical Music with Jazz Music and Talk Derry 720 Londonderry 0.25 Aberdeen and East Grampian 1089 Redmoss 2 Broadcast Hours: 0655-0000 (+ Open University 0635-0655) Fermanagh and South Tyrone 774 Enniskillen 1 North Scotland 1053 Burghead 20 FM: 90.3 - 92.4, 94.75 MHz, see table Coverage: 98% daytime, 91% nightime Belfast & East Northern Ireland 1089 Lisnagarvey 10 Derry area 1053 Londonderry 1 Fermanagh and South Tyrone 1053 Enniskillen 1 BBC RADIO 3 MW BBC RADIO 4 VHF Coverage: 96% daytime, 57% nightime As Radio 3 VHF (except OU), opting out with Cricket As Radio 4 LW except for Educational programmes Mon-Fri Broadcast Hours: 0655-0000 1100-1200, 1400-1500, 0030-0110, Mon-Thur 2330-0010, Thur AM: 1197, 1215 kHz MW, see table 0900-1045, Sat 1500-1700, Sun 0700-0800, 1600-1800, plus BBC RADIO 2 MW Area kHz Site kW Parliamentary coverage, mainly Wed 1500-1600. Format: Easy Listening Music, Mixed Music, Talk and Sport London, Herts, Essex, S Beds 1215 Brookmans Park 50 FM: 92.5 - 94.7, 97.1 MHz, see table Broadcast Hours: 24 hours a day Brighton and South Sussex 1215 Southwick, Brighton 1 Available in England and parts of Wales only (Educational AM: 693, 909, 990 kHz MW, see table S Hampshire & Isle of Wight 1215 Fareham 1 programmes carried on Regional services elsewhere) Area kHz Site kW Bournemouth area 1197 Bournemouth 0.5 London and South East England 909 Brookmans Park 150 Torbay area 1197 Occombe, Torbay 0.5 BBC WORLD SERVICE South East Kent 693 Folkestone 1 Plymouth area 1215 Plymouth 1 Format: News, Talk, Mixed Format East Sussex Coast 693 Bexhill MF 1 West Cornwall 1215 Redruth 2 London, South East, East Anglia 648 Orfordness 500 Brighton and Worthing area 693 Brighton 1 South Wales, Avon, Somerset 1215 Washford 60 (Opts out with programmes in French and German) South Hampshire and Wight 909 Fareham 1 North Dyfed & SW Gwynedd 1215 Tywyn 1 Also available on Radio 4 LW’s Droitwich transitter 0030-0600 Bournemouth 909 Bournemouth 0.25 Western Midlands Region 1215 Droitwich 30 and on Short Wave (various frequencies at different times) Devon, Cornwall and Dorset 693 Start Point 50 S & Central Cambridgeshire 1197 Chesterton Fen 0.2 East Norfolk & NE Suffolk 1215 Postwick 1 RADIOS 2/1, 3 AND 4 FM TRANSMITTERS (97% stereo coverage) Area R2/1 R3 R4 Site kW Area R2/1 R3 R4 Site kW ENGLAND Avon, Somerset and Wiltshire 89.9 92.1 94.3 Wenvoe 240 London & South East England 89.1 91.3 93.5 Wrotham 240 Bath 88.8 91.0 93.2 Bath 0.07 West Surrey & NE Hampshire 88.1 90.3 92.5 Guildford 3 Gloucester & Cheltenham 89.0 91.2 93.4 Churchdown Hill 0.072 East Kent 90.0 92.4 94.4 Swingate 10 Hereford 89.7 91.9 94.1 Hereford 0.026 Brighton and Worthing area 90.1 92.3 94.5 Brighton (Whitehawk H) 0.5 Midlands 88.3 90.5 92.7 Sutton Coldfield 240 Central Southern England 88.5 90.7 92.9 Rowridge 60 Oxon, Bucks, Berks, S Midlands 89.5 91.7 93.9 Oxford 22 Ventnor, Isle of Wight 89.4 91.7 93.8 Ventnor 0.02 Northampton 88.9 91.1 93.3 Northampton 0.123 Devon and East Cornwall 88.1 90.3 92.5 North Hessary Tor 60 Cambs, Beds, S Lincs, E Nthnts 90.1 92.3 94.5 Peterborough 50 Exeter 89.0 91.2 93.4 St Thomas (Exeter) 0.055 Cambridge area 88.9 91.1 93.3 Cambridge (Madingley) 0.260 Okehampton, Devon 88.7 90.9 93.1 Okehampton 0.070 Norfolk and Suffolk 89.7 91.9 94.1 Tacolneston 120 North Devon 88.5 90.7 92.9 Barnstaple 1 Lincolnshire & E Yorkshire 88.8 90.9 93.1 Belmont 8 West Cornwall 89.7 91.9 94.1 Redruth 9 North West and Yorkshire 89.3 91.5 93.7 Holme Moss 240 Isles of Scilly 88.8 91.0 93.2 Isles of Scilly 0.06 Sheffield & Rotherham 89.9 92.1 94.3 Sheffield 0.32 Channel Islands 91.1 94.75 97.1 Les Platons 16 Otley & Ilkley area, West Yorks 88.4 90.6 92.8 Wharfedale 0.04 UK and Ireland Radio Stations in 1984 Frequency Finder UK (www.frequencyfinder.org.uk) Area R2/1 R3 Site kW Area R2/1 R3 Site kW South Cumbria & NW Lancs 90.0 92.2 94.4 Morecambe Bay 11 Central Scotland 89.9 92.1 Kirk O’Shotts 120 Windermere & Ambleside, Cumb 88.6 90.8 93.0 Windermere 0.02 Ayr 88.7 90.9 Ayr 0.055 Kendal, Cumbria 88.7 90.9 93.1 Kendal 0.025 Patna & Dalmellington, Ayrshire 88.3 90.5 Lethanhill 0.2 Wensleydale, North Yorks 88.3 90.5 92.7 Wensleydale 0.025 Girvan, Ayrshire 88.9 91.1 Girvan 0.1 Scarborough area, N Yorks 89.9 92.1 94.3 Olivers Mount 0.25 Campbeltown, Strathclyde 88.6 90.8 Campbeltown 0.035 Whitby, North Yorkshire 89.6 91.8 94.0 Whitby 0.04 Largs, Rothesay, Clyde Mouth 88.5 90.7 Rothesay 0.72 North East England 88.5 90.7 92.9 Pontop Pike 60 Greenock & Firth of Clyde 89.2 91.4 Rosneath 0.025 Weardale, County Durham 89.7 91.9 94.1 Weardale 0.1 Dumbarton & Alexandria 88.8 91.0 Millburn Muir 0.025 North Northumberland 90.1 92.3 94.5